Clarkston girls varsity golf coach Larry Sherrill did not want to come out and call his team the league favorite, but with four seniors and five girls coming back with varsity experience, his team should definitely contend for the OAA I championship.
Seniors Lisa Lesko, Kristi Horstman, Nina Jackson and Sarah Maesch bring with them a combined 10 years of varsity experience. Junior Lyndsey Kitson and sophomore Jackie Schram, who was named all-league in her freshman season round out this year’s team.
The Wolves finished second in the OAA I last year. Other teams competing with the Wolves for the league title include Farmington, Rochester Adams, Troy Athens, Rochester, Bloomfield Hills Lahser and Troy. Clarkston finished 3-3 in league meets last year, but their two second-place finishes in league meets helped them boost their league standing. Rochester, defending state champion took the top honors in the OAA I last year. However, the Falcons lost several key players to graduation. The Wolves biggest loss from last year was Anna Trim.
‘We feel, as a team, that we’ll compete for the league this year,? Sherrill said. ‘As a team, I think all the girls have really improved in the off-season. They’ve put in a lot of work on their own hitting balls in the range since January. By the time we got together as a team, their swings looked pretty good.?
Sherrill also thinks any of his six athletes can be named all league this year. To be named all-league a golfer must have an average score between the two league meets good enough to be in the top 10.
Last year, the Wolves finished fourth out of a field of 30 teams at regionals. Just one place shy of qualifying for the state meet.
‘I think going to states is a realistic expectation for us this year,? he said. ‘These girls are very hard working and demand a lot of themselves. The other day it was 45 degrees and raining and I asked if they’d rather head inside to the range and they said they needed to get on the course and play. That’s the kind of girls they are.?
Furthermore, most of Sherrill’s golf team members are also good students. Lesko, Horstman and Maesch all have grade point averages 3.8 or higher, being named scholar athletes this year. Kitson has a 3.6 and Jackson a 3.2, Sherrill said.
Maintaining good grades is a must for the golf team, Sherrill said. Due to tee times at the area courses, golfers are excused from at least sixth hour for every meet, and are sometimes excused for more than just sixth hour. However, Sherrill, a counselor at Clarkston High School, does his best job to adjust course schedules to accommodate his team members.
Clarkston’s next meet will be after spring break, April 20, which is the Oakland County meet, held at Pontiac Country Club at 9 a.m. The first league meet of the year is held April 27 at Pine Trace Country Club at 8 a.m. Regionals are slated for May 21 at Sylvan Glen while the team’s second league meet takes place May 25 at Indianwood Country Club at 8 a.m.